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Sex & Violence in the Bible: A Survey of Explicit Content in the Holy Book
Christians needn’t be any more squeamish than the Bible itself is—and it contains many things that most Christians shy away from! In this carefully organized catalog of sexual, violent, and other blunt biblical passages, Joseph Smith develops a “Christian aesthetic” to help us process our culture’s daily deluge of such material.
“The author manages to show convincingly how very frank and honest the Bible is about subjects that are often avoided or handled gingerly by today’s Christians. . . . We would be well advised to share the Bible’s realism if we wish to share its message of truth.”
—William Edgar, Professor of Apologetics, Westminster Theological Seminary
“Brutally blunt, delicately discreet, strongly scriptural. An excellent resource for the Christian who wants to understand the Bible’s revelation of the baser aspects of human nature and sinful reality.”
—Brian Godawa, Author, Hollywood Worldviews; Screenwriter, To End All Wars
“Joseph Smith wants . . . to shock us, but not gratuitously. He wants to shock us into reckoning with the real Bible and the real God to which it points, not to ones of our own making.”
—Tremper Longman III, Robert H. Gundry Professor of Biblical Studies, Westmont College
“A work of painstaking research and scholarship. If the concentration of examples makes for uncomfortable reading, it is nonetheless important that we confront the subject. . . . We can assume that the references to sex and violence in the Bible tell us something that God wants us to know.”
—Leland Ryken, Professor of English, Wheaton College
“At last, a book that deals soberly with the fact that the Bible addresses the earthy aspects of life and that does so in a way that honors not just the Bible’s content but also the Bible’s intentional modes of expression.”
—Carl R. Trueman, Paul Woolley Professor of Church History, Westminster Theological Seminary
Joseph W. Smith III (B.A., Syracuse University; M.A., New York University) teaches English at Loyalsock High School, Williamsport, Pennsylvania. Formerly, he worked for sixteen years as a film critic for the Williamsport Sun-Gazette.
“The author manages to show convincingly how very frank and honest the Bible is about subjects that are often avoided or handled gingerly by today’s Christians. . . . We would be well advised to share the Bible’s realism if we wish to share its message of truth.”
—William Edgar, Professor of Apologetics, Westminster Theological Seminary
“Brutally blunt, delicately discreet, strongly scriptural. An excellent resource for the Christian who wants to understand the Bible’s revelation of the baser aspects of human nature and sinful reality.”
—Brian Godawa, Author, Hollywood Worldviews; Screenwriter, To End All Wars
“Joseph Smith wants . . . to shock us, but not gratuitously. He wants to shock us into reckoning with the real Bible and the real God to which it points, not to ones of our own making.”
—Tremper Longman III, Robert H. Gundry Professor of Biblical Studies, Westmont College
“A work of painstaking research and scholarship. If the concentration of examples makes for uncomfortable reading, it is nonetheless important that we confront the subject. . . . We can assume that the references to sex and violence in the Bible tell us something that God wants us to know.”
—Leland Ryken, Professor of English, Wheaton College
“At last, a book that deals soberly with the fact that the Bible addresses the earthy aspects of life and that does so in a way that honors not just the Bible’s content but also the Bible’s intentional modes of expression.”
—Carl R. Trueman, Paul Woolley Professor of Church History, Westminster Theological Seminary
Joseph W. Smith III (B.A., Syracuse University; M.A., New York University) teaches English at Loyalsock High School, Williamsport, Pennsylvania. Formerly, he worked for sixteen years as a film critic for the Williamsport Sun-Gazette.
- GenresTheologyBiblical Studies
259 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
March 13, 2014
I had the privilege of reading an advance copy of this book, and what a privilege it was.
I was one of those pre-teen boys who grew up in the church and was obsessed with gore and bodily functions. I can't remember how many times I read Genesis, Judges, and 1 & 2 Kings before I turned 18 - all because I was fascinated by how earthy it was. But I learned at a young age not to persist in asking, "but what does that phrase mean?" It just wasn't a polite question for Sunday school.
I've been waiting my entire life for this book.
Now don't get me wrong. This book is neither immature nor juvenile. It is a measured, well-researched, and respectable foray into an uncomfortable topic. But Smith pulls no punches when it comes down to it. Heads roll, bowels gush, emissions emit, and "feet" are not always feet, if you know what I mean.
I'm reasonably certain that this book catalogues every Bible verse that touches on some aspect of sex or violence. If you've ever wondered about a particular verse, it's in here. The book's greatest strength is its breadth of coverage for the topics of sex and violence.
The only major weakness with the book is that it doesn't get far beyond asking, "What does it say?" If you're hoping for more "what does it mean?" material (in terms of a sex ethic or philosophy of war), you won't find it here.
But don't let that fact distract you from reading the book. If all our thinking should be shaped by the Scripture, then surely our "sensibilities" of what is "respectable" shouldn't trump the Bible's approach to such uncomfortable topics.
I was one of those pre-teen boys who grew up in the church and was obsessed with gore and bodily functions. I can't remember how many times I read Genesis, Judges, and 1 & 2 Kings before I turned 18 - all because I was fascinated by how earthy it was. But I learned at a young age not to persist in asking, "but what does that phrase mean?" It just wasn't a polite question for Sunday school.
I've been waiting my entire life for this book.
Now don't get me wrong. This book is neither immature nor juvenile. It is a measured, well-researched, and respectable foray into an uncomfortable topic. But Smith pulls no punches when it comes down to it. Heads roll, bowels gush, emissions emit, and "feet" are not always feet, if you know what I mean.
I'm reasonably certain that this book catalogues every Bible verse that touches on some aspect of sex or violence. If you've ever wondered about a particular verse, it's in here. The book's greatest strength is its breadth of coverage for the topics of sex and violence.
The only major weakness with the book is that it doesn't get far beyond asking, "What does it say?" If you're hoping for more "what does it mean?" material (in terms of a sex ethic or philosophy of war), you won't find it here.
But don't let that fact distract you from reading the book. If all our thinking should be shaped by the Scripture, then surely our "sensibilities" of what is "respectable" shouldn't trump the Bible's approach to such uncomfortable topics.
June 2, 2020
I’m glad to own this unique book, which I bought online via a local e bookstore.
This book is not heavy on doctrines, but nearly pulls together rarely mentioned biblical passages on sex and violence. While the content covered was salacious, Smith kept his explanation factual and on the narrow path.
Because of the euphemism the Bible uses to describe sexual encounters and sins, an ordinary reading will not provide the reader with a full context. Take for example, David’s commandment to Uriah to “wash his feet” (2 Sam 11). I never read this as David trying to make Uriah “go into” Bathsheba, so as to prevent him from being discovered. Now, I can now better understand the guilt that David talked about in Ps 51.
Smith’s writings on the cruelty of the cross from Page 137 - 141 was very good and succinct. Talking about the mental, physical pain of being crucified, as well as the immense pain caused by sin, separation with His Father, and enduring his Father’s wrath.
All in all, a decent book to own. A book that also shows that the Bible does not shy away from talking about sex and violence, reality that we have to deal with in a broken world full of sin.
This book is not heavy on doctrines, but nearly pulls together rarely mentioned biblical passages on sex and violence. While the content covered was salacious, Smith kept his explanation factual and on the narrow path.
Because of the euphemism the Bible uses to describe sexual encounters and sins, an ordinary reading will not provide the reader with a full context. Take for example, David’s commandment to Uriah to “wash his feet” (2 Sam 11). I never read this as David trying to make Uriah “go into” Bathsheba, so as to prevent him from being discovered. Now, I can now better understand the guilt that David talked about in Ps 51.
Smith’s writings on the cruelty of the cross from Page 137 - 141 was very good and succinct. Talking about the mental, physical pain of being crucified, as well as the immense pain caused by sin, separation with His Father, and enduring his Father’s wrath.
All in all, a decent book to own. A book that also shows that the Bible does not shy away from talking about sex and violence, reality that we have to deal with in a broken world full of sin.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 20, 2021
The Bible is graphic without being gratuitous. Its allure is not in the lurid, but in the lived out realities. Some of these events are sensational, others seldom seen, but this book explores it all. Particularly interesting are some of the lesser-known tidbits, and the benefit is found in its apologetic but also in its index (serving as a helpful study tool). This was a text I benefited from in reading the book of Judges and preparing for a class on Ruth, among others.
January 12, 2016
This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
---
Struggling with the idea that there's "explicit content" in the Bible (sex, violence, and the like) and yet Christian sermons, education, and literature tends to veer towards the G-rated (unless someone's trying to make a name for himself for being "edgy"), Smith set out to survey the texts that cover those topics to see if he could help Christians be able to talk the way the Bible does about the topics. He says he soon learned that
Armed with these passages, his goal is to
Smith endeavors to present this survey without personal commentary or opinion, only to explain what the texts say, while running "the risk of presenting what is essentially a list—and a very long list at that." He does that pretty well, the book moves smoothly from one topic to the next (on the whole). Part 1 covers "Sex", with chapters devoted to aphrodisiacs, nudity, adultery, and more. Violence is the focus of Part 2, beatings, dismemberment, cannibalism, gore, and more. In Part 3, he gets a little less focuses and tries to discuss everything else that might have an "ick" factor while not fitting into the other categories -- bodily fluids, vomit, corpses.
Early on, the chapters endeavor to connect their subject with the overall narrative of the Bible or to redemptive themes, but he abandons that to stick with the explanation. This is the major weakness of the book, and almost ruined the experience for me. But his conclusion rescues the book from this shortcoming, tying it all together and showing the reader how they can use what he's presented, how the Bible maintains a balance "of frankness and restraint" in its approach to sex and violence, and how we should, too. In case anyone reads the book after reading this post, I want to stress the importance of his concluding chapter -- without it, this book would be an worthless read and only a decent -- and very specific -- reference book, 2-Stars in my mind. What he does in the concluding chapter really does save the book and gets it the 3rd star.
Also, the book he mentions in that conclusion that he's writing? I'm buying that as soon as it's in print, assuming that happens.
Ultimately, the "very long list" aspect of this can numb the mind and help the eyes glaze over. The best use of this book is after reading it to have it handy as a reference. But he does achieve his goals in a way that honors the text without pandering to the lowest common denominator and while educating. Not the easiest needle to thread.
---
Struggling with the idea that there's "explicit content" in the Bible (sex, violence, and the like) and yet Christian sermons, education, and literature tends to veer towards the G-rated (unless someone's trying to make a name for himself for being "edgy"), Smith set out to survey the texts that cover those topics to see if he could help Christians be able to talk the way the Bible does about the topics. He says he soon learned that
I might amass 40 or 50 texts. Yeah, right. After an entire summer of work and study, I had collected not a few dozen but rather several hundred such passages—giving me plenty of work to do and also yielding a basic thesis: there’s a lot of sex and violence in the Bible.
Armed with these passages, his goal is to
unpack, clarify, and explain some of these graphic passages, many of which have been obscured by idiom, figurative language, and overly genteel English translations—not to mention the vast geographical and chronological distance between the culture in which the Bible was originally written and that of our own time.
Smith endeavors to present this survey without personal commentary or opinion, only to explain what the texts say, while running "the risk of presenting what is essentially a list—and a very long list at that." He does that pretty well, the book moves smoothly from one topic to the next (on the whole). Part 1 covers "Sex", with chapters devoted to aphrodisiacs, nudity, adultery, and more. Violence is the focus of Part 2, beatings, dismemberment, cannibalism, gore, and more. In Part 3, he gets a little less focuses and tries to discuss everything else that might have an "ick" factor while not fitting into the other categories -- bodily fluids, vomit, corpses.
Early on, the chapters endeavor to connect their subject with the overall narrative of the Bible or to redemptive themes, but he abandons that to stick with the explanation. This is the major weakness of the book, and almost ruined the experience for me. But his conclusion rescues the book from this shortcoming, tying it all together and showing the reader how they can use what he's presented, how the Bible maintains a balance "of frankness and restraint" in its approach to sex and violence, and how we should, too. In case anyone reads the book after reading this post, I want to stress the importance of his concluding chapter -- without it, this book would be an worthless read and only a decent -- and very specific -- reference book, 2-Stars in my mind. What he does in the concluding chapter really does save the book and gets it the 3rd star.
Also, the book he mentions in that conclusion that he's writing? I'm buying that as soon as it's in print, assuming that happens.
Ultimately, the "very long list" aspect of this can numb the mind and help the eyes glaze over. The best use of this book is after reading it to have it handy as a reference. But he does achieve his goals in a way that honors the text without pandering to the lowest common denominator and while educating. Not the easiest needle to thread.
September 9, 2016
I can't say I enjoyed reading this book. The book deals with difficult subject matter and it is a concentrated dose. There are certainly some queasy stomach moments and probably worse if you tend toward the weaker stomach side of things.
Having said that, I do think it is an important book. Smith covers subjects in the Bible that are not often taught, or not taught well. He does so with serious mindedness and not sophmoric humor. He takes his cue of how to deal with these subjects from the way the Bible deals with them. The Bible is honest and plain in treating these delicate issues. The Biblical writers never sensationalized the material, nor did they go into gratuitous detail.
Smith points out that only about 3-4% of the Bible's verses make explicit references, so there is no preoccupation with these things like we see in the culture around us today. When the Bible touches on these delicate matters, it is often with euphemism or figure of speech that is restrained and delicate, not vulgar.
We are most acquainted with two extremes in dealing with these issues from the Bible. One extreme is a Victorian sensibility that either ignores them altogether or tries to spiritualize them into something other than what they are. The result of that is that the Scripture is neglected or it is actually corrupted to mean something other than the Holy Spirit's intent. The other extreme is to obsess over these passages and deal with them in graphically vulgar terms and slang phrases. This is prevalent among many internet celebrity preachers in their sermons, books, and blogs. These subjects seem to occupy a much higher place than 3-4% of their content and their language far exceeds the restraint of the text of Scripture.
If you are committed to faithful, biblical exposition, and you should be, then you are going to encounter these passages as you go verse-by-verse through books of the Bible. Smith's book will be a helpful reference for these passages. He mostly deals plainly with what is actually written and doesn't indulge in a lot of speculation. His notes will also help point you to further study as needed.
I recommend this book for every serious student of God's Word. Sometimes, the delicacy of the biblical expression is not immediately clear and it requires thought and study to get the meaning. This book will be a helpful reference. I read it through, but you may not want to do that. You may want to only refer to chapters that deal with specific subjects you're studying, or use the index to reference particular verses.
Remember: All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works. ~ 2 Timothy 3:16-17
Having said that, I do think it is an important book. Smith covers subjects in the Bible that are not often taught, or not taught well. He does so with serious mindedness and not sophmoric humor. He takes his cue of how to deal with these subjects from the way the Bible deals with them. The Bible is honest and plain in treating these delicate issues. The Biblical writers never sensationalized the material, nor did they go into gratuitous detail.
Smith points out that only about 3-4% of the Bible's verses make explicit references, so there is no preoccupation with these things like we see in the culture around us today. When the Bible touches on these delicate matters, it is often with euphemism or figure of speech that is restrained and delicate, not vulgar.
We are most acquainted with two extremes in dealing with these issues from the Bible. One extreme is a Victorian sensibility that either ignores them altogether or tries to spiritualize them into something other than what they are. The result of that is that the Scripture is neglected or it is actually corrupted to mean something other than the Holy Spirit's intent. The other extreme is to obsess over these passages and deal with them in graphically vulgar terms and slang phrases. This is prevalent among many internet celebrity preachers in their sermons, books, and blogs. These subjects seem to occupy a much higher place than 3-4% of their content and their language far exceeds the restraint of the text of Scripture.
If you are committed to faithful, biblical exposition, and you should be, then you are going to encounter these passages as you go verse-by-verse through books of the Bible. Smith's book will be a helpful reference for these passages. He mostly deals plainly with what is actually written and doesn't indulge in a lot of speculation. His notes will also help point you to further study as needed.
I recommend this book for every serious student of God's Word. Sometimes, the delicacy of the biblical expression is not immediately clear and it requires thought and study to get the meaning. This book will be a helpful reference. I read it through, but you may not want to do that. You may want to only refer to chapters that deal with specific subjects you're studying, or use the index to reference particular verses.
Remember: All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works. ~ 2 Timothy 3:16-17
April 11, 2014
Part of the name of this book is A Survey of Explicit Content in the Holy Book.
Hats off to Smith for providing an excellent encyclopedia of where the sexy and violent verses are in the Bible. Smith writes with the similar regard for body parts and gore as do medical journals. The text is very matter of fact, but not dry. Smith displays his humor quite well.
This is not something that your little brother would sneak a look at like the pictures in National Geographic. It is very well thought out, and I do believe it is a crucial look at some of the ways the Bible talks about human sexuality, the sex organs, and all the euphemisms and idioms that the Bible employs to get the point across. Some of the verses Smith calls "vague", I find explicit enough for me. I seriously doubt that I will ever read Song of Songs the same way again.
Smith treats violence the same way. Matter of fact explanations without delving too deeply into the gore, but examining the different words, and the different connotations for the situations.
One of the main reasons he has written this book is because he knows the Bible is inerrant, and others books that delve into these subjects are by authors who believe the Bible is full of errors.
I think there is a much more valuable lesson to be learned by Christian authors who have this insatiable desire to be so edgy their prose seems to slice tender Christians. There are only a moderately few places where the Bible is explicit (Ezekiel comes to mind). Christian authors should take their cue from how God breathed His word. Idioms and euphemisms aside, God had no desire for shock or graphic violence and sex. Being creative in how we describe things is part and parcel of a truly excellent writer.
God really does know best.
Hats off to Smith for providing an excellent encyclopedia of where the sexy and violent verses are in the Bible. Smith writes with the similar regard for body parts and gore as do medical journals. The text is very matter of fact, but not dry. Smith displays his humor quite well.
This is not something that your little brother would sneak a look at like the pictures in National Geographic. It is very well thought out, and I do believe it is a crucial look at some of the ways the Bible talks about human sexuality, the sex organs, and all the euphemisms and idioms that the Bible employs to get the point across. Some of the verses Smith calls "vague", I find explicit enough for me. I seriously doubt that I will ever read Song of Songs the same way again.
Smith treats violence the same way. Matter of fact explanations without delving too deeply into the gore, but examining the different words, and the different connotations for the situations.
One of the main reasons he has written this book is because he knows the Bible is inerrant, and others books that delve into these subjects are by authors who believe the Bible is full of errors.
I think there is a much more valuable lesson to be learned by Christian authors who have this insatiable desire to be so edgy their prose seems to slice tender Christians. There are only a moderately few places where the Bible is explicit (Ezekiel comes to mind). Christian authors should take their cue from how God breathed His word. Idioms and euphemisms aside, God had no desire for shock or graphic violence and sex. Being creative in how we describe things is part and parcel of a truly excellent writer.
God really does know best.
February 3, 2022
If you read your Bible and pay attention, you know that it is not all rated G! Explicit content abounds, though sometimes obscured by English translations. This excellent book surveys this explicit content in Scripture, showing that Scriptures's "approach to indecent matter is not that of a twenty-first century schoolboy" nor "that of a nineteenth-century Victorian housewife." Scripture is honest about sexuality, bodily functions, and violence in the world, but restrained in its discussion of these matters, as well. Well-researched, detailed, thorough, honest, and respectful - this is a helpful book.
June 21, 2014
Smith's book gives a strong rundown of many of the gross and uncomfortable topics in the Bible, giving good scholarly reflections on specific verses. It is helpful both for thinking about the issues as such, but also, and probably more importantly, for metacognition-- how and why do we think the way we do about socially uncomfortable issues? How ought we, from a Biblical standpoint?
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews